[1209] TESTIMONY OF SUMNER WELLES, FORMER UNDER The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Welles, the Chair will suggest that you keep your microphone as close as possible on account of the acoustics in this room, which you are probably familiar with already. Mr. WELLES. All right, Mr. Chairman. Mr. GESELL. I would like now to offer for the record as Exhibit No. 22 a document entitled, "Draft of Parallel Communications To The Japanese Government," on the stationery of Mr. Churchill, dated August 10, 1941; two telegrams and a draft of a proposed communication to the Japanese Ambassador brought to the Department by Mr. Welles following the conference between the President and Mr. Winston Churchill. That number will be No. 22 and copies of this are before the various members of the committee. Senator FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman. Mr. FERGUSON. May I inquire at this time whether or not we have had clearance from the other governments on the communications? Mr. GESELL. We have had clearance on practically all the documents. There remain perhaps two on which we have not heard anything as yet one way or the other and as soon [1210] as they are available I will, of course, distribute them to the committee and if they seem to necessitate any examination of any of these witnesses on those points they, of course, will be available and be recalled before the committee on those documents. We have done our very best to get clearance. Senator FERGUSON. Was this a special clearance on this particular exhibit that you now offer? We received it here at noon and I wondered. Mr. GESELL. Well, you received part of it this noon and part of it had been in your hands before, I believe, Senator. The draft of the proposed communication that Mr. Welles brought back has been in your hands, I believe, for some time. The top document is being distributed now. The CHAIRMAN. That is Exhibit No. 22? Mr. GESELL. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Consisting of this single sheet? Mr. GESELL. No, there are three documents that make a part of it; it is all in one. The CHAIRMAN. All of this is 22? Mr. GESELL. Yes, that is right. The CHAIRMAN. That which is mimeographed and that which is photostated? Mr. GESELL. That is right. [1211] The CHAIRMAN. All right. (The documents referred to were marked "Exhibit No. 22".) Mr. GESELL. Mr. Welles, as a starting point could you briefly indicate your position in the Department of State during the years 1940 and 1941? Mr. WELLES. During those years my time and attention were primarily given to relations between the United States and the other American republics and, to a considerable extent, to our relations with European governments. I had no participation in the diplomatic discussions which went on between Secretary Hull and the Japanese Government representatives and only at certain times, when the Secretary was away on a much needed vacation or was not in the Department and I had to act as Acting Secretary of State did I take any active part. Mr. GESELL. You were present, were you not, during the meeting in the Atlantic between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill? Mr. WELLES. I was. Mr. GESELL. Did you at that time participate in any discussions between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill concerning Japan or developments in the Far East? Mr. WELLES. No. During the meeting at Argentia the President delegated to me the work which had to do with the [1212] drafting of the Atlantic Charter. My conversations were almost entirely taken up with talks with the British Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Cadogan, and those conversations related solely to the drafting of the Atlantic Charter text and to one of the diplomatic negotiations, none of which had to do with Japan. Mr. GESELL. Did you receive any information at that meeting as to any agreement or arrangement or understanding that had been arrived at, if there was any, between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill concerning joint action of the United States and Great Britain in the Pacific? Mr. WELLES. When I left the President, since he was due to return to Washington before myself, he told me that he had had a conversation, or several conversations, with Mr. Churchill with regard to the Japanese situation and the increasing dangers in the Far East; that Mr. Churchill had suggested to him that the two governments, as a means which might be of some effect, should take parallel action in issuing a warning to the government of Japan. As I recall it, the President stated that what Mr. Churchill had suggested was that the Government of the United States should state to the Government of Japan that if Japan persisted in her policy of conquest and aggression the United States, in the protection of its legitimate interests and [1213] in order to provide for its own security would have to take such acts as were necessary in its own judgment. The President also asked me to tell Secretary Hull that he wished. to see the Japanese Ambassador immediately upon his return and that warning which had been suggested as a parallel action by Mr. Churchill was communicated to the Japanese Ambassador by the President on August 17th of that year. Mr. GESELL. Were you present at the meeting? Mr. WELLES. I was not. You mean the meeting between the President and the Japanese Ambassador? Mr. GESELL. Yes. Mr. WELLES. No. Mr. GESELL. Now, the Exhibit 22 which has just been introduced includes as the first document a document dated August 10, 1941, reading as follows: [1209] TESTIMONY OF SUMNER WELLES, FORMER UNDER The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Welles, the Chair will suggest that you keep your microphone as close as possible on account of the acoustics in this room, which you are probably familiar with already. Mr. WELLES. All right, Mr. Chairman. Mr. GESELL. I would like now to offer for the record as Exhibit No. 22 a document entitled, "Draft of Parallel Communications To The Japanese Government," on the stationery of Mr. Churchill, dated August 10, 1941; two telegrams and a draft of a proposed communication to the Japanese Ambassador brought to the Department by Mr. Welles following the conference between the President and Mr. Winston Churchill. That number will be No. 22 and copies of this are before the various members of the committee. Senator FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman. Mr. FERGUSON. May I inquire at this time whether or not we have had clearance from the other governments on the communications? Mr. GESELL. We have had clearance on practically all the documents. There remain perhaps two on which we have not heard anything as yet one way or the other and as soon [1210] as they are available I will, of course, distribute them to the committee and if they seem to necessitate any examination of any of these witnesses on those points they, of course, will be available and be recalled before the committee on those documents. We have done our very best to get clearance. Senator FERGUSON. Was this a special clearance on this particular exhibit that you now offer? We received it here at noon and I wondered. Mr. GESELL. Well, you received part of it this noon and part of it had been in your hands before, I believe, Senator. The draft of the proposed communication that Mr. Welles brought back has been in your hands, I believe, for some time. The top document is being distributed now. The CHAIRMAN. That is Exhibit No. 22? Mr. GESELL. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Consisting of this single sheet? Mr. GESELL. No, there are three documents that make a part of it; it is all in one. The CHAIRMAN. All of this is 22? Mr. GESELL. Yes, that is right. The CHAIRMAN. That which is mimeographed and that which is photostated? Mr. GESELL. That is right. [1211] The CHAIRMAN. All right. (The documents referred to were marked "Exhibit No. 22".) Mr. GESELL. Mr. Welles, as a starting point could you briefly indicate your position in the Department of State during the years 1940 and 1941? Mr. WELLES. During those years my time and attention were primarily given to relations between the United States and the other American republics and, to a considerable extent, to our relations with European governments. I had no participation in the diplomatic discussions which went on between Secretary Hull and the Japanese Government representatives and only at certain times, when the Secretary was away on a much needed vacation or was not in the Department and I had to act as Acting Secretary of State did I take any active part. Mr. GESELL. You were present, were you not, during the meeting in the Atlantic between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill? Mr. WELLES. I was. Mr. GESELL. Did you at that time participate in any discussions between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill concerning Japan or developments in the Far East? Mr. WELLES. No. During the meeting at Argentia the President delegated to me the work which had to do with the [1212] drafting of the Atlantic Charter. My conversations were almost entirely taken up with talks with the British Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Cadogan, and those conversations related solely to the drafting of the Atlantic Charter text and to one of the diplomatic negotiations, none of which had to do with Japan. Mr. GESELL. Did you receive any information at that meeting as to any agreement or arrangement or understanding that had been arrived at, if there was any, between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill concerning joint action of the United States and Great Britain in the Pacific? Mr. WELLES. When I left the President, since he was due to return to Washington before myself, he told me that he had had a conversation, or several conversations, with Mr. Churchill with regard to the Japanese situation and the increasing dangers in the Far East; that Mr. Churchill had suggested to him that the two governments, as a means which might be of some effect, should take parallel action in issuing a warning to the government of Japan. As I recall it, the President stated that what Mr. Churchill had suggested was that the Government of the United States should state to the Government of Japan that if Japan persisted in her policy of conquest and aggression the United States, in the protection of its legitimate interests and [1213] in order to provide for its own security would have to take such acts as were necessary in its own. judgment. The President also asked me to tell Secretary Hull that he wished to see the Japanese Ambassador immediately upon his return and that warning which had been suggested as a parallel action by Mr. Churchill was communicated to the Japanese Ambassador by the President on August 17th of that year. Mr. GESELL. Were you present at the meeting? Mr. WELLES. I was not. You mean the meeting between the President and the Japanese Ambassador? Mr. GESELL. Yes. Mr. WELLES. No. Mr. GESELL. Now, the Exhibit 22 which has just been introduced includes as the first document a document dated August 10, 1941, reading as follows: [1209] TESTIMONY OF SUMNER WELLES, FORMER UNDER The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Welles, the Chair will suggest that you keep your microphone as close as possible on account of the acoustics in this room, which you are probably familiar with already. Mr. WELLES. All right, Mr. Chairman. Mr. GESELL. I would like now to offer for the record as Exhibit No. 22 a document entitled, "Draft of Parallel Communications To The Japanese Government," on the stationery of Mr. Churchill, dated August 10, 1941; two telegrams and a draft of a proposed communication to the Japanese Ambassador brought to the Department by Mr. Welles following the conference between the President and Mr. Winston Churchill. That number will be No. 22 and copies of this are before the various members of the committee. Senator FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman. Mr. FERGUSON. May I inquire at this time whether or not we have had clearance from the other governments on the communications? Mr. GESELL. We have had clearance on practically all the documents. There remain perhaps two on which we have not heard anything as yet one way or the other and as soon [1210] as they are available I will, of course, distribute them to the committee and if they seem to necessitate any examination of any of these witnesses on those points they, of course, will be available and be recalled before the committee on those documents. We have done our very best to get clearance. Senator FERGUSON. Was this a special clearance on this particular exhibit that you now offer? We received it here at noon and I wondered. Mr. GESELL. Well, you received part of it this noon and part of it had been in your hands before, I believe, Senator. The draft of the proposed communication that Mr. Welles brought back has been in your hands, I believe, for some time. The top document is being distributed now. The CHAIRMAN. That is Exhibit No. 22? Mr. GESELL. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Consisting of this single sheet? Mr. GESELL. No, there are three documents that make a part of it; it is all in one. The CHAIRMAN. All of this is 22? Mr. GESELL. Yes, that is right. The CHAIRMAN. That which is mimeographed and that which is photostated? Mr. GESELL. That is right. [1211] The CHAIRMAN. All right. The documents referred to were marked "Exhibit No. 22".) Mr. GESELL. Mr. Welles, as a starting point could you briefly indicate your position in the Department of State during the years 1940 and 1941? Mr. WELLES. During those years my time and attention were primarily given to relations between the United States and the other American republics and, to a considerable extent, to our relations with |